Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Homemade vanilla ice cream made with a proper egg custard is smooth, rich and speckled with real vanilla seeds, and it scoops better than most shop-bought tubs. You warm milk and cream with the vanilla, thicken it with egg yolks, chill it thoroughly, then churn and freeze. The work is short, but the chilling and freezing take most of a day, so plan ahead. It makes about 900ml, enough for six.
- Total
- 9 h 20 min
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Serves
- 6
- Per serving
- 540kcal
Before you start: homemade vanilla ice cream
Plan this the day before you want to eat it. The custard takes about 35 minutes to make, but it needs at least 4 hours in the fridge before churning, and then about 3 hours in the freezer to firm up. Freeze the bowl of the ice cream maker for 24 hours if it needs it.
Use good ingredients, since there are so few of them. A real vanilla pod gives a deeper, rounder flavour than extract, and double cream gives the smoothest texture. The yolks are cooked to 80°C, which is hot enough to set them safely, and British Lion-stamped eggs are considered safe for everyone.
Homemade vanilla ice cream, step by step
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Infuse the milk Pour the milk and 250ml of the cream into a heavy-based pan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the pan and add the pod itself. Heat gently until it is steaming and small bubbles appear at the edge, then take it off the heat and leave it to infuse for .
- Whisk the yolks In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar and salt for until pale and thick. Return the milk mixture to the heat to warm it again, then pour it slowly onto the yolks, whisking all the time.
- Cook the custard Pour everything back into the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for . It is ready when it coats the back of the spoon and a finger drawn across leaves a clean line, or a thermometer reads 80°C. Do not let it boil.
- Strain and chill Pour the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and stir in the remaining 250ml of cold cream. Press cling film onto the surface, leave it to cool for an hour, then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Churn Remove the vanilla pod and churn the custard in an ice cream maker for , until it looks like soft-serve.
- Freeze Spoon the ice cream into a freezer-proof container, cover and freeze for about 3 hours, until firm enough to scoop.
Serving and variations
Serve scoops with warm crumble, apple pie, brownies or fresh summer berries. For a chocolate version, melt 100g of good dark chocolate into the hot custard, as in chocolate ice cream. You can also layer it with sponge and freeze it as an ice cream cake.
Store the ice cream in a covered container in the freezer. Press a sheet of baking paper onto the surface to stop ice crystals forming.
Common problems and fixes for Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
- The custard has curdled or looks like scrambled egg.
- It overheated. Take it off the heat at once, pour it into a clean bowl and blend with a hand blender or whisk it hard. To avoid it, cook on a low heat and keep stirring until the custard reaches 80°C.
- The ice cream is icy rather than smooth.
- The base was not cold enough before churning, or the ice cream maker bowl was not frozen solid. Chill the custard overnight and freeze the bowl for 24 hours beforehand.
- The ice cream is too hard to scoop.
- Home freezers set ice cream harder than shop-bought. Take the container out of the freezer 10 minutes before you serve it.
Frequently asked questions about Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
How long does homemade vanilla ice cream last in the freezer?
Up to 2 weeks in a covered container at the back of the freezer. After that it can become icy.
Can you make it without an ice cream machine?
Yes. Pour the chilled custard into a shallow freezer-proof container and freeze it. Beat it with a fork or whisk after 45 minutes, again every 45 minutes for 3 hours, then leave it to freeze solid. It will take 4–5 hours and be slightly less smooth.
Why use egg yolks?
The yolks thicken the custard and make it rich and creamy, and the proteins in them help the ice cream stay smooth, with a slow melt.
Can you use vanilla extract instead of a pod?
Yes. Use 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract, added after the custard has been strained. The flavour is slightly less complex, and you will not see the seeds if you use extract.
How did you like the recipe?
4.6 / 5 · 11 ratings
